302 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
recently they have not been considered specially 
adapted to eastern farms, except when there chanced 
tc be an unusual wind exposure.—In our present 
journey up through New York State, we find a con¬ 
siderable number in operation, and learn that many 
more are ordered, or to be ordered, for this season. 
We write this 134 mile east of Lima, Livingston 
Co., sitting under the covered frame of a “ Stover” 
Windmiil on the farm of Samuel Bonner. This mill 
has been in use over a year, and, with the excep¬ 
tion of a single day, has, summer aud winter, sup¬ 
plied some 40 head of cattle and horses, and 50 or 
more sheep, with fresh water from a deep well, and 
not a tithe of its power has been required. No 
care has been needed except to stop it when not 
wanted, and no expense ex¬ 
cept a little oii lor its gearing, 
while it promises to be good 
for a dozen or twenty year6. 
It is on a level larm, 6tands 
on a frame 40 ft. high ; wheel 
10 feet diameter. It is entirely 
self-regulating, the wings turn¬ 
ing edgewise to the wind when 
it blows too strong, and any 
desired rapidity of motion can 
be secured, whether the wind 
be high or only a light breeze. 
The cost was $100 for the 
mill and gearing, aud the agent 
supplied and put up the frame, 
aR complete, for $25 more. 
the same as the 6ides. A double cover, C, to fit the 
opening is made and also filled with saw-dust. This 
cover has heavy strap hinges at the back, and is 
nearly balanced by a stone, or other weight, W, 
attached to a cord, P, running over a post to the 
rear of the tank, so that a child can lift or close 
the tank cover. At Mr. Bonner’s the cord runs to 
the enclosed room around the base of the wind¬ 
mill frame, and an iron weight is attached there, so 
that the tank cover can be opened and closed from 
this room. The front of the tank is sufficiently 
banked up for sheep to reach the water. An inlet 
pipe comes from the pump, and an overflow pipe 
from near the top of the water box carries off sur¬ 
plus water. The whole arrangement is easily and 
PROTECTED WATER TROUGH FOR STOCK. 
Mr. Bonner afterwards boarded up the lower part of 
the frame, making a comfortable room for tools,etc., 
at small additional expense. The pump is a double- 
geared force-pump, so arranged that the whole or 
part of the water can be driven out of the top 
spout to the water-trough, or a part or the whole 
he driven into a side-pipe below the surface, which 
carries it to any desired distance. Some send all 
the water thus to a milk-room, where it surrounds 
milk cans, and flows from thence back to the stock 
yards. Others have a branch pipe into the dwel¬ 
ling for the house supply of water. The windmill 
will force it to any desired bight, as to a tank in the 
bouse chambers or bath-room. This pump, with 
tubing, costs about $25. Cost of the whole $150.— 
Allow ten percent per annum for interest and wear, 
and the annual cost is only $15, which is saved 
several times over in the labor of pumping water 
for the stock alone. There is a supplemental hand- 
lever that can he readily used for hand-pumping if 
needed, but there has been only a single occasion to 
use this in a year, in a dry time when there had been 
no wind stirring for several days.—[On the farm of 
A. W. Comstock, two miles west of Lockport, N. 
Y., we saw an arrangement like the above, except 
that the shaft from tho windmill was attached to 
the top of the rod of a common wooden pump, re¬ 
ducing the total cost to $125, as the pump was al¬ 
ready in the well. The windmill frame is 34 feet 
high. It supplies abundant water for 50 cattle and 
horses, and for dairy purposes. Mr. Comstock 
keeps some 40 cows, and by special care and skill 
secures a cheese that sells to regular customers at 
considerable above the market rate. He uses no 
ice, but cools the milk in cans in a large box near 
the windmill which keeps a supply of cool water 
around the cans.J 
Protected Water-Trough for Stock. 
Near the windmill, on Mr. Bonner’s farm, we saw 
a convenient watering trough or tank, which may be 
useful in most cold regions. A supply of water, not 
usually ice cold even in winter, is desirable for all 
domestic animals. The tanks may be of any desired 
6ize. Mr. Bonner’s consists of an inner water-hold¬ 
ing, plank box, A, 11 feet long, 4 feet wide, 22 inches 
deep, holding about 18 barrels, and open at the 
top. On the four sides a box, £, is built of inch 
boards, 121 feet long, 51 feet wide, and 30 inches 
high, which leaves a space of 8 inches alJ round 
for filling with sawdust. A double cover is made 
of boards 8 inches apart, with an opening at the 
side next; the stock yards, 7, 8, or 9 feet long, and 
some 2 feet wide. The sides of this are boarded 
np, the opening being a little smaller at the bot¬ 
tom, All the enclosed space is filled with saw-dust, 
cheaply constructed. The water from the well 
is not very cold, and being frequently changed 
by fresh supplies, seldom freezes. During last 
winter ice was seen in the tank but once, and then 
only a thin film, which dissolved in fresh water. 
Value of One Improved Animal. 
In Mr. Bonner’s barn we noticed a good Shorthorn 
Bull, two years old last spring, thorough-bred, reg¬ 
istered, that cost $150 we believe. He was kept for 
the double purpose of improving the 6tock of the 
farm and of the neighborhood as well, and for the 
latter purpose was let at the low rate of $2 per ser¬ 
vice. His progeny for the present year will number 
at least 60, yielding say $120, though a considerable 
number of these will be in the home herd. A little 
figuring will show the value of a single such aui- 
mal. The calves will be worth $8 to $10 each at one 
day old, while the ordinary “ natives ” sell for only 
$1 each when dropped—an increase of $7to$9each. 
Call the increased value only $5 each, a very low es¬ 
timate, and the increased value of the 60 calves will 
be $300, or twice the cost of the bull. But look a- 
head a little : The expense of raising 60 animals to 
three years old will be about the same for natives or 
good grades; but at that age the improved animals 
will sell for at least $25 more per head—equivalent 
for the 60 animals of this one year’s get, to at least 
$1,500. Let it he kept in mind that this result will 
surely come from keeping this one $150-animal a sin¬ 
gle season, while his value a year hence will be quite 
as large as now. And this result may be depended 
upon annually for half a dozen years. There is no 
doubt that the above figures will he fully realized. 
Query: Why are not more 6uch breeding animals in¬ 
troduced into every neighborhood where farm stock 
is kept?—Similar figures apply to horses, swine, 
sheep, etc.—A multitude—indeed the great mass— 
of farmers do not hesitate to graft their native ap¬ 
ple trees with improved cions, yet they are satisfied 
to keep on raising, caring for, and using “ scrub ” 
animals, when every dollar expended in im¬ 
proved blood is speedily returned many fold ! 
The “ Genesee Wheat Country.” 
Forty to forty-five years ago, when we were per¬ 
sonally familiar with the farming in this region, 
Winter Wheat was the chief money crop. The 
counties of GeDesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, 
Monroe, Orleans, Niagara, Cayuga, Onondaga, 
Seneca, Cortland, and at least a part of Erie, 
Wyoming, and Yates, embraced what was once 
known as the “ Genesee Wheat Country ”—a dis¬ 
trict producing such excellent grain for flouring, 
and in so large amounts, that it was known the 
world over as the wheat field of America. About 
40 years ago, we believe it was, the insects began 
their extensive ravages. But after they became less 
troublesome, wheat remained in disfavor; farm¬ 
ers said the soil was “ wheat sick,” and for a long 
time wheat was almost a secondary crop. Ohio, 
Indiana, part of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, 
and the far Northwest, successively lead in the- 
reputation for winter wheat, while Illinois, Iowa, 
Kansas, and Nebraska, one after the other, came 
forward with the immense supplies of excellent 
spring wheat. But judging from what we have 
seen during a few years past, and especially during 
the present journey, the “ Genesee Country ” is fast 
regaining its former position as a great wheat pro¬ 
ducer, and Ohio promises this year again to come 
to the front. During a few days past we have seen 
in Livingston, Genesee, Niagara, Monroe, and Or¬ 
leans counties a great number of fields of standing 
wheat—in close succession all along the routes we 
travelled—that fairly eclipse any thing we remember 
in the olden times—fields whose thickly standing, 
uniformly distributed, strong stalks are crowned 
with heads that indicate 25, 30, 35, and often 40 
bushels per acre. 
Whence this Improvement P 
We talked with many farmers, and the answer 
seems to be : (1st.) Rest of the soil, that is, time 
given for sun, air, moisture, and frost, to release 
fertilizing elements previously locked in undecom¬ 
posed rocky, or stony fragments.—(2nd.) Im¬ 
proved varieties of wheat, among which the 
“ Clawson ” seems to be the leading and favorite 
variety.—(3rd.) Better mechanical working of the 
soil by improved implements.—(4th.) A judicious 
rotation of crops.—(5th.) Much freer use of fer¬ 
tilizers, especially, (6th.) The use of superphos¬ 
phate. Of the last named, we have seen remark¬ 
able instances. For example, we have gone 
through wheat fields that promise 25 to 35 bushels 
per acre generally, while strips through the same 
fields will hardly yield i0 bushels per acre. The 
soil aud treatment were the same every way, ex¬ 
cept that the poor strips did not receive the 200 to- 
300 lbs. of superphosphate per acre, which was ap¬ 
plied to the rest of the land. These are exceptional 
cases, but other fields point in the same direction. 
A Crop Rotation. 
The system of rotation of erops in the wheat¬ 
growing section of Livingston County, N. Y., and 
we believe it is substantially the same through the 
“ Genesee Country,” is about as follows : 
Year. 
I.—Wheat with some Timothy seed sown in Oc¬ 
tober, and liberal Clover seeding in spring. 
II.—Pastured somewhat in autumn, 
in.— Clover mown, with second crop (“row'en”> 
cut for seed.—Variation, pasturing instead of 
mowing, if needed for that purpose. 
IV.—Early clover growth turned under and com 
planted, the chief yard manure of the rotation 
being applied to the com.—Variation : If the 
clover is doing well and hay or pasturage is 
specially wanted, the clover is allowed to stand 
over another year. 
V.—Barley (or oats) in spring on the com stubble, 
with wheat in autumn, with phosphates. Some 
apply part of the yard manure of the course,, 
as a top-dressing to the wheat in autumn, while 
others plow it under in preparing the wheat 
land, especially if the manure is not well rotted. 
Manuring with Brains. 
In our travels we visited the farm of one of 
the old readers of the American Agriculturist, who 
exemplifies our Timothy Bunker, Esq.’s brain- 
manure theory. (We shall not give name or loca¬ 
tion, for our subscriber is entitled to continue his 
practice until his neighbors become wise enough 
by reading this or some other journal, to utilize 
their home supplies). Every spring our sul^criber 
sends out a man with a large box-wagon into all 
the region round about, to clean up their hen¬ 
roosts for them. He finds them quite ready to let 
him gather all the droppings he can scrape up and 
take away, at 15 cents per bushel. He generally 
collects 30 to 40 bushels a day, according to “ the 
